How to use Twitter’s Vine to create stop-motion video [tutorial]

Learn how to use Twitter’s new video sharing service to make your own quirky animation with our tutorial for iPhone and Android smartphone

Learn how to use Twitter’s new video sharing service to make your own quirky animation with our tutorial for iPhone and Android smartphone.

Vine is a new way to create and share short, snappy, looping videos. The app, which was released with much fanfare earlier this year in conjunction with Twitter, has already amassed a sizeable following of users keen to capture movement in video. Abbreviation is the name of the game here – Vine videos are only six seconds long. No longer, no shorter. Its duration is aimed at falling in line with Twitter’s 140-characters per tweet limit and developers argue that the limit inspires users to be creative.

Vine is a community very much in its infancy, but it’s clearly already attracting a lot of users keen to show off their video-taking skills, as one look at the app’s Explore feature proves. Much like Twitter, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time moving from one trending hashtag to the next.

In this tutorial we’re going to show you one of the more creative things you can do with Vine. Stop-motion animation is over a century old, and was made universally popular by Aardman Studios and its Wallace and Gromit films in the Nineties. You used to need an expensive array of equipment to create something professional, but now all you need is an iPhone or Android smartphone, the Vine app, and a steady hand. We’ll go through the basics and let you use your imagination. There are plenty of examples already on Vine, and it won’t be long before you’ve got the knowledge to join in. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Sign in

Although Vine is inextricably linked to Twitter, you don’t have to have a Twitter account to use it. You can sign in with an email address, but we found it much easier to create an account via Twitter.

Step 2: Get started

You’ll be taken straight to Vine’s homepage. Hit the camera icon in the top-right to start recording. Have a play around and create a normal clip by tapping and holding on the screen to record.

Step 3: Planning

To create a stop-motion clip, you’ll need to plan meticulously. It’s not something that you can do off the cuff. You need to be aware of your surroundings, the tools at your disposal, and your plan of action.

Step 4: Take one

You’ll be surprised at how long six seconds is in terms of animation. Keeps things simple. Cut frequently to create the animation-style footage you’re after by simply taking your finger off the screen to create multiple shots.

Step 5: Final cut

As you build up the number of cuts you film, your stop-motion clip will begin to take shape. Don’t be afraid to mix up the style of shot for that added element of surprise. When you’re happy, hit Next.

Step 6: Showcase

Now you can show off your creativity. You can share it on Vine (a default setting naturally) and to Twitter or Facebook. Don’t forget to add some hashtags and a location if you deem it necessary. Recently, Vine has also added the ability to embed videos into websites, so you can do this:

Have you enjoyed this tutorial? Did you find it helpful? Feel free to add your Vine tips to our comments section as well as post your own videos!